Slick Rick from Omaha here to give y'all a review from the front row at Johnny's gig last night in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Venue
I arrived at the venue, the "Shadow," near the Old Market area of downtown Omaha. It's the smallest club I’ve ever been to for a concert featuring a "big name" — it must have seated 300-400 people max. I loved the intimate setting and atmosphere. After grabbing a beer or two, I checked out the Johnny Winter T-shirts. They had two black ones, but I passed; I thought they were pretty bad.
The opening band, the "Tommy Castro Band," came on at 8:30. I had never heard of them before, but the crowd seemed impressed. They played good-time bluesy rock 'n' roll with a touch of soul—very tight and appreciative of the audience. They even signed posters and CDs at the back after their 90-minute set. It was a good band, and I might look into them further. I believe they’re from California.
Intermission
At 10:00, I knew I had about 30 minutes until Johnny Winter hit the stage. I had a couple of brews and chatted with some fans. We discussed the reviews from the websites. They asked, "Is he gonna play Highway 61?" and "What about Johnny B. Goode or Hoochie Coochie Man?" I replied, "Probably not." Neither had bought or heard the NYC '97 CD, but I mentioned there had been some really positive reviews recently from Chicago and Michigan.
Showtime
At 10:30 PM, the club music stopped, and out came the band. (No, the flashlight man did not lead Johnny to the stage or adjust his mic—Johnny adjusted his own mic, gave a growl, and launched into Hideaway.)
The stage area up front wasn’t full yet, so I moved closer, and within four songs, I was dead center, about 3-4 feet from Johnny. I could almost touch his mic stand! Lucky me, I had brought my camera and got some cool, close-up shots.
For the next 90 minutes, Johnny Winter played the entire Live in NYC '97 CD, plus Sick and Tired—minus The Sky Is Crying. The crowd definitely got into the show, and lots of couples were dancing. The real highlight was when Johnny brought out the Gibson for The Sun is Shining. My favorite moment—Johnny played some mean slide!
The Live in NYC '97 CD was played exactly as on the album, and I loved it, since I play it in my car a lot. Johnny never missed a note! After the show, the crowd was buzzing about how he sure played some amazing blues. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the show. Johnny did his spin on Drop the Bomb, thanked the audience, and unfortunately, the show was over.
Johnny Has Left the Building!
A night of incredible blues guitar playing by the living legend himself!
After the show, I scrambled to my car, grabbed a few Johnny Winter LPs and CD covers, and went looking for the tour bus. Behind the backstage door was the bus, and about six fans were already waiting with posters, LPs, and more. The first person to come out was bass player Mark Epstein. I chatted with him for a minute and got him to sign my Live in NYC '97 CD cover.
At this point, I noticed a grey-haired guy (Terry Slatus) ushering the contest winner from an Omaha radio station onto the bus to meet Johnny. The guy brought about 12 of his friends along. Fifteen minutes later, they came out, telling us they met Johnny, shook hands, got photos with him, and even autographs.
Finally, the rest of us got our chance. A road crew member said he would take one item each to have Johnny sign. I handed over my Still Alive and Well LP cover, and 10 minutes later, it came back with Johnny's autograph over the forehead.
While waiting, I met the biggest Johnny Winter fan I’ve ever seen. He told me he’d seen Johnny 10 times since '74 and was going to the next gig in Olathe, Kansas. Even the road crew and Terry Slatus knew him! He kept saying, "I LOVE JOHNNY!" and claimed he has never left a Johnny Winter show without an autograph or meeting Johnny, because "Johnny loves his fans!" He even told me his gun cabinet at home is "filled with Johnny Winter autographed posters, tickets, LPs, etc."—a real die-hard fan. Man, he was something!
